Current Training: Histia.

Donations: Und'rus (80-90%)

Exploration: Tenebrion is found in the Ethereal Plane, and stolen catapult plans recovered from Orga Stronghold.

Soldi, day 15 of Spring, 567.

PTF was looking for a quick trip recently, when J'jh suggested we examine EP8, where hundreds of Ethereal Clouds were massed during Tenebrion's reappearance and fall some time ago.

To recap, Tenebrion had experimented with the Annulus once before, lost his memory in the attempt and left his home to meditate for some time.

When he suddenly reappeared in the Lands and shared with a few exiles, he was felt to be fallen in the Ethereal Plane.

A rescue effort localized him to the Annulus in EP8, but we wer unable to approach due to incredible numbers of Ethereal Clouds in all parts of EP8.

At the same time, his former Keep and entire Island were over-run by over a dozen Greater Deaths.

It seemed he had been experimenting with the Annulus again, and something must have gone horribly awry to fell him in EP8 and send a backlash to his home as well.

In any case, since we were incapable of rescuing him, no one was surprised when Tenebrion's life force faded away to undetectable levels, probably as he was chewed by Ethereal slugs for zodiac after zodiac.

And so he was forgotten.

Imagine our surprise as we now battled past numerous Ether Clouds and Ethereal Golems and Serac Wyrms to find the fallen Tenebrion still present at the Annulus!

And where he lay, there were giant cracks in the very foundations of the Ethereal Plane, with a very evident hole in the center of the Annulus that had not been there before.

Tenebrion did once say the Annulus was a doorway, and apparently he blasted it open!

However, no one could approach Tenebrion due to the invisible force barrier that surrounds the Annulus, and to an altered area of that barrier near him that seemed to draw us in then spew us out away from him.

Those who tried to force their way closer to him were sent away all the further - all the way back to EP4!

Clearly mysteries remain about what Tenebrion was attempting here, what he accomplished (or destroyed), and whether he is rescueable/ healable or if his corpse remains as a grim reminder of the consequences of dabbling in deep forces beyond mortal understanding.

I joined the fourth joint PAG/EAT expedition to the Orga Stronghold recently.

Our goal was a distant area that had been partially mapped previously, but not taken and investigated closely.

Unlike the dredtastic third trip, where we were unable to get a foothold amid the terrible tumult of the first snell, we entered and controlled that area readily today.

Once in the Stronghold, we advanced steadily, despite withering lightning and punishing firebombs from the front and constant ambushes from rear areas thought to have been cleared already.

We finally reached Katpus in her cavern redoubt, ad took a short rest before pressing on to the adjacent unexplored area.

We had two goals: to see if there remained a way forward past this area, and to recover the catapult plans that were seen here before by fallens dragged to a pit by Orga Razzias.

We went in as two squads, anchored by the rod points Hunter and Mephisto.

On the first entry, we cleared a good way in through narrow tree-lined trails, but ran into serious trouble when Orga firebombs blocked the narrows.

When retreat was called, exiles clambered over each other to avoid the still burning fires, or braved a walk through the flames and often fell.

The retreating mass was a ripe target for further firebombs, and we lost many of the fallens to the ever-present Razzias and their chains.

Now down to only one rod (Hunter), we made a good effort at clearing the winding way to the pit, but were beaten back by lightning and firebombs time and again - losing a few more exiles each time.

Finally, depleted, we decided to try a suicidal charge to map the snell edges and try to retrieve the catapult plans.

I stuck to the unmapped southern edge (which proved to be unbroken trees), and was shielded from much of the lightning that was aimed at those who struck out on a more Northerly course.

Weaving and dodging among the Orga and my fallen, Razzia-chained comrades, I was able to reach the far end of the pit to grab the loose sheet of catapult plans that had taunted us since the previous expedition here.

With no support and no where to run, I too fell moments later.

But now we hope to see what Katpus will tell us when we show these plans to her next time.

PTF and friends took a trip to Sarra recently.

We seemed to be doing well, until we saw a very curious pool.

One minute we had an intact hunting party, and the next moment several folks were fallen but nowhere to be found on the snell.

Yelling and looking around, I came to the pool and suddenly found myself in another, uncleared part of Sarra and trapped by Sarra'dons and a Sarra'yrm.

Down go I.

I did find my fallen friends though.

Apparently, this pool is an illusion and the entrance to Lady Sarra's gravesite.

If one enters slowly (I'm told), one can visit to pay respects.

I apparently entered and exited in the same footfall, because all I saw were teeth gnashing at me.

No one in the group survived this unexpected "visit", and I caution Sarra travelers to leave any illusory pools they may find well enough alone.

PAG was in a mood to try something other than Arachnoids in sunless caverns, so we headed to Metzetli Island aiming for the Rainforest.

Since we had no illusion-opening Mystic along, we took the long route through the Pit in the Gloaming Wendecka caverns.

There was much rejoicing when we reached the South shore of the river and headed into the Rainforest proper.

However, as is all too often the case, by the time we reached the Rainforest, folks started hinting they were tired from the journey.

After some tough fights in the treetops and some encounters with grabby Hellebore roots (pictured), we took our leave all too soon.

Some day I will make it through the Rainforest to the Tepui!

One of the hazards of being around healers who carry Red Healing Salves and Potions is that they use them and want yet more Uli flowers.

I'm pretty efficient at scooping up easy Ulis at the Meadow, but certain healers have an insatiable appetite for these useful flowers that can only be tempered by a quick trip through Camp Dred to the Foothills and Orga Village for two or three fresh blooms.

One of the curious hazards of this trip is that the exit from the Orga Village into the Orga Camp varies from a fluffy nothing of a soft landing, to a full-blown lightning barrage worthy of Hatred Hollow.

You never know which one you're walking into.

This day was one of the latter.

Once we saw how heavy the bolts really were, we didn't even to try to kill the Warlocks but turned tail and fled.

Click here for my report on the previous storm.

Click here for my report on the next storm.

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